Ethanol production/steam powered battery charging and misc projects finally under way
I am ashamed they represent my state
. It is true though there are a lot of fools like that here. Excluding myself of course. Alaska sounds great on paper but I would imagine what you save in tax is paid in service/supplies I believe there is a lot of mark up due to most commodities are shipped in. Im also intersted on how to make electric with steam.I lived in Colorado for a while, you have plenty of wierd going on out there.
The steam power. On the left side of the gauge with the red on it, you will see an outlet. I use that outlet for two different things. I run a hose to a piece of 3/4" OD copper tubing, that copper tube is rigid and straight and has holes drilled in it. I boil water and the steam is released into that tube, that tube is going to be put into the corn mash and is used to heat it up to activate the enzyme to break the corn down. Now the steam power is produced through that same port. I take that hose/copper tube assembly off and it's replaced with a rigid 3/4" steel pipe that runs to a GM Smog pump. The GM smog pump is mounted to a bracket I built that also has a GM alternator on it. The two are connected through a V-belt and pulleys. When the boiler builds up pressure I turn the valve on and release the pressurized steam into the smog pump and it makes a darn good steam engine. I've had as much as 13.1 volt and around 12 amps out of this set up. It works and charges my battery bank but to be honest, it's scary as hell!! I do not like messing with pressurized steam. I'm actually chicken **** about it.
Here's the steam/electric generation working:
I tried some other things with the steam, different pumps, like a custom turbo I built to drive the pulley that didn't work and a 4 vane Moroso racing vacuum pump which didn't work either. I may work on that project more in the future for now the best set up, smog pump/alternator, are stored away under my bench in the barn.
The Federal Permit isn't hard to get. You have to fill out some forms and send them in. I think it costs $25 and it doesn't expire unless you chose to cancel it. The link for the permit can be found on that first link I posted to Mile Hi Distillery, they have the links there on that site to download the forms I believe. You do subject yourself to being allowed to have them come in and search your home/property and inspect at anytime though, which I'm not crazy about.
My cost on this batch of ethanol was really-really high. As I said, I paid a local winery to make me the 40 gallons of wash to run. He used 100 pounds of sugar and his yeast to make it and I bought the barrel he delivered it in. I'm a bit ashamed to say but this run cost me $14.54 per gallon to make. Obviously that isn't good, I did it only because I was dieing to see the still run, figure out how to do this part of the operation and get it going. When I grow my own corn that price will drop drastically and not figuring in my time I estimate I will have less than .99 per gallon in the fuel. I don't figure my time as this is a hobby for me and I don't plan to sell it. For me it's better than eating Cheetos and watching TV.
Cost of living in Alaska is high but in a situation where you aren't forced into paying taxed right off the bat you at least have a choice in how much you pay in taxes. For example, I feel they should eliminate all local/city/state and property taxes, then just implement a 10% sales tax. At that point the more you make and spend the more tax you pay. If you chose to grow your own food or live like a hermit then you are not going to pay much, you would at least have some control over it. The system now is backwards and simply wrong. The harder I work so I can have a nice house the more my RENT goes up. I'm nothing but a tenant, renting my house in property tax every month, pisses me off.
Here's the steam/electric generation working:
I tried some other things with the steam, different pumps, like a custom turbo I built to drive the pulley that didn't work and a 4 vane Moroso racing vacuum pump which didn't work either. I may work on that project more in the future for now the best set up, smog pump/alternator, are stored away under my bench in the barn.
The Federal Permit isn't hard to get. You have to fill out some forms and send them in. I think it costs $25 and it doesn't expire unless you chose to cancel it. The link for the permit can be found on that first link I posted to Mile Hi Distillery, they have the links there on that site to download the forms I believe. You do subject yourself to being allowed to have them come in and search your home/property and inspect at anytime though, which I'm not crazy about.
My cost on this batch of ethanol was really-really high. As I said, I paid a local winery to make me the 40 gallons of wash to run. He used 100 pounds of sugar and his yeast to make it and I bought the barrel he delivered it in. I'm a bit ashamed to say but this run cost me $14.54 per gallon to make. Obviously that isn't good, I did it only because I was dieing to see the still run, figure out how to do this part of the operation and get it going. When I grow my own corn that price will drop drastically and not figuring in my time I estimate I will have less than .99 per gallon in the fuel. I don't figure my time as this is a hobby for me and I don't plan to sell it. For me it's better than eating Cheetos and watching TV.
Cost of living in Alaska is high but in a situation where you aren't forced into paying taxed right off the bat you at least have a choice in how much you pay in taxes. For example, I feel they should eliminate all local/city/state and property taxes, then just implement a 10% sales tax. At that point the more you make and spend the more tax you pay. If you chose to grow your own food or live like a hermit then you are not going to pay much, you would at least have some control over it. The system now is backwards and simply wrong. The harder I work so I can have a nice house the more my RENT goes up. I'm nothing but a tenant, renting my house in property tax every month, pisses me off.
Evolving Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
wow! mad respect to u for doing all the work urself and being motivated enough to do everything to pull this project together. on a side not this shows how much effort u put into EVERYTHING u build and this is why i buy/continue to buy buschur made parts.
The steam power. On the left side of the gauge with the red on it, you will see an outlet. I use that outlet for two different things. I run a hose to a piece of 3/4" OD copper tubing, that copper tube is rigid and straight and has holes drilled in it. I boil water and the steam is released into that tube, that tube is going to be put into the corn mash and is used to heat it up to activate the enzyme to break the corn down. Now the steam power is produced through that same port. I take that hose/copper tube assembly off and it's replaced with a rigid 3/4" steel pipe that runs to a GM Smog pump. The GM smog pump is mounted to a bracket I built that also has a GM alternator on it. The two are connected through a V-belt and pulleys. When the boiler builds up pressure I turn the valve on and release the pressurized steam into the smog pump and it makes a darn good steam engine. I've had as much as 13.1 volt and around 12 amps out of this set up. It works and charges my battery bank but to be honest, it's scary as hell!! I do not like messing with pressurized steam. I'm actually chicken **** about it.
Here's the steam/electric generation working:
I tried some other things with the steam, different pumps, like a custom turbo I built to drive the pulley that didn't work and a 4 vane Moroso racing vacuum pump which didn't work either. I may work on that project more in the future for now the best set up, smog pump/alternator, are stored away under my bench in the barn.
The Federal Permit isn't hard to get. You have to fill out some forms and send them in. I think it costs $25 and it doesn't expire unless you chose to cancel it. The link for the permit can be found on that first link I posted to Mile Hi Distillery, they have the links there on that site to download the forms I believe. You do subject yourself to being allowed to have them come in and search your home/property and inspect at anytime though, which I'm not crazy about.
My cost on this batch of ethanol was really-really high. As I said, I paid a local winery to make me the 40 gallons of wash to run. He used 100 pounds of sugar and his yeast to make it and I bought the barrel he delivered it in. I'm a bit ashamed to say but this run cost me $14.54 per gallon to make. Obviously that isn't good, I did it only because I was dieing to see the still run, figure out how to do this part of the operation and get it going. When I grow my own corn that price will drop drastically and not figuring in my time I estimate I will have less than .99 per gallon in the fuel. I don't figure my time as this is a hobby for me and I don't plan to sell it. For me it's better than eating Cheetos and watching TV.
Cost of living in Alaska is high but in a situation where you aren't forced into paying taxed right off the bat you at least have a choice in how much you pay in taxes. For example, I feel they should eliminate all local/city/state and property taxes, then just implement a 10% sales tax. At that point the more you make and spend the more tax you pay. If you chose to grow your own food or live like a hermit then you are not going to pay much, you would at least have some control over it. The system now is backwards and simply wrong. The harder I work so I can have a nice house the more my RENT goes up. I'm nothing but a tenant, renting my house in property tax every month, pisses me off.
Here's the steam/electric generation working:
I tried some other things with the steam, different pumps, like a custom turbo I built to drive the pulley that didn't work and a 4 vane Moroso racing vacuum pump which didn't work either. I may work on that project more in the future for now the best set up, smog pump/alternator, are stored away under my bench in the barn.
The Federal Permit isn't hard to get. You have to fill out some forms and send them in. I think it costs $25 and it doesn't expire unless you chose to cancel it. The link for the permit can be found on that first link I posted to Mile Hi Distillery, they have the links there on that site to download the forms I believe. You do subject yourself to being allowed to have them come in and search your home/property and inspect at anytime though, which I'm not crazy about.
My cost on this batch of ethanol was really-really high. As I said, I paid a local winery to make me the 40 gallons of wash to run. He used 100 pounds of sugar and his yeast to make it and I bought the barrel he delivered it in. I'm a bit ashamed to say but this run cost me $14.54 per gallon to make. Obviously that isn't good, I did it only because I was dieing to see the still run, figure out how to do this part of the operation and get it going. When I grow my own corn that price will drop drastically and not figuring in my time I estimate I will have less than .99 per gallon in the fuel. I don't figure my time as this is a hobby for me and I don't plan to sell it. For me it's better than eating Cheetos and watching TV.
Cost of living in Alaska is high but in a situation where you aren't forced into paying taxed right off the bat you at least have a choice in how much you pay in taxes. For example, I feel they should eliminate all local/city/state and property taxes, then just implement a 10% sales tax. At that point the more you make and spend the more tax you pay. If you chose to grow your own food or live like a hermit then you are not going to pay much, you would at least have some control over it. The system now is backwards and simply wrong. The harder I work so I can have a nice house the more my RENT goes up. I'm nothing but a tenant, renting my house in property tax every month, pisses me off.
I see moisture/open electrical=batteries and a methanol distillery. Some guys in my family do commercial boilers smallest one i have seen was the size of a VW. Once installed it is pressurized with air for 48hrs to test for leaks and then bring the pressure up to point where a relief valve is triggered. Then it is ready for final connections. I asked them about boilers blowing up and they said that it is almost impossible with modern systems. However if one did blow you wouldn't know it because you would be dead. I showed them the video and they recommended using a small home heating boiler with piping to capture the steam to be collected for a recyclable system adding water occasionally. They also mentioned a you would have to create a way for the turbine your using to be enclosed in the steam line for the most efficient way of capturing the steams energy. Then they went on and on into steam techno babel way over my head. I guess you could use a few smog pumps and pipe collectors at the outlet of the pump to capture the steam. Either way very cool thread and ingenuity. You should make your own Cheetos next
9evolution,
I agree with you on most of what you said. I was surprised the further I got into the steam production the more complicated it became. It's an entire trade/profession and is extremely complicated. I never exceeded 30 psi of boiler pressure and the highest steam temp I saw was 270 degrees. At that point I was getting nervous as I was well aware of the consequences. (had to spell check that one! haha)
Capturing the steam to recover it into the boiler, using the steam as heat before that etc., is all things I'd like to pursue. I need to meet someone interested enough in this project and trained in it to do more with it. I have some big ideas but lack the knowledge or drive to obtain the knowledge to finish it. This was just a small scale attempt at making some off grid electric and it worked.
With the production of the ethanol, I can now run a generator if I want to make some electric off grid and without outside fuel etc. It actually makes the most sense for me to put all my effort into the ethanol production because with that I can do whatever I need to do.
I am going to buy a new carburetor for my generator and my pit bike actually to work on re-jetting them, both of which will end up running on the ethanol.
I agree with you on most of what you said. I was surprised the further I got into the steam production the more complicated it became. It's an entire trade/profession and is extremely complicated. I never exceeded 30 psi of boiler pressure and the highest steam temp I saw was 270 degrees. At that point I was getting nervous as I was well aware of the consequences. (had to spell check that one! haha)
Capturing the steam to recover it into the boiler, using the steam as heat before that etc., is all things I'd like to pursue. I need to meet someone interested enough in this project and trained in it to do more with it. I have some big ideas but lack the knowledge or drive to obtain the knowledge to finish it. This was just a small scale attempt at making some off grid electric and it worked.
With the production of the ethanol, I can now run a generator if I want to make some electric off grid and without outside fuel etc. It actually makes the most sense for me to put all my effort into the ethanol production because with that I can do whatever I need to do.
I am going to buy a new carburetor for my generator and my pit bike actually to work on re-jetting them, both of which will end up running on the ethanol.
